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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rock · cue · ruler · dip · current · wound · cell · trunk

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. cue — for pool
  6. current — happening now
  7. dip — to sink
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. wound — an injury
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cell — a phone
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. cue — a hint
  15. cell — in biology
  16. rock — music
  17. current — electric
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. wound — an injury
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. rock — a stone

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com